


After Dark (ZaDR oneshot)

by Dashu



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Dib's contantly like 'what the fuck are we doing here' in this au, Existential Crisis, Fluff, M/M, They're both teens, ZaDr, also minor self harm mention?, and by slightly i mean my gf is fucking 6'1, and im a lowly 5'4, i slightly based them off my own relationship, if that, it could be interpreted otherwise, minor depressive topics, theres also like a year age gap, this is the first fanfic I wrote in like 2 years??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 09:19:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22847788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dashu/pseuds/Dashu
Summary: Just a short fluffy oneshot between my human AU bois.twas off of a location generator prompt that I got inspired from,"You stand in a flat region strewn with weather-worn reddish rocks. It's also smattered with deciduous trees and wildflowers.  You can see a stream nearby and a cave to the south.  The temperature is cool and the sky is clear."(except theres hills that got added hhfsd)
Relationships: Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Kudos: 24





	After Dark (ZaDR oneshot)

**Author's Note:**

> I totally named this after the song.  
> I recommend listening to it while reading this but leave it on low volume for the vibe.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v9OtinHt68 
> 
> I also feel the need to express that Zim is 17 and Dib is 18 
> 
> Enjoy reading and feel free to leave feedback QvQ

Gentle wind coursed over the sea of flowers, stirring brown and orange leaves that barely stayed bound to trees, running threw soft black hair, ruffling a coffee brown coat. The owner of which didn’t seem to pay any mind to the breeze as it flowed over the hills and through the trees. He seemed too lost in thought to notice the occasional leaf that broke free or the splash of fish swimming upstream. 

The boy in question, no older than 18, sat surrounded by flowers, letting the wind guide dull black hair as it pleased. He was an oddity of the place, drawn in dark colours contrasting to the pale green and pink and blue surrounding him. He leaned with elbows resting on knees as if contemplating something. 

He’s been here before. His life essence seeped into the grass and nurse the life that grew around him. Those countless evenings where there was nowhere to go, no where to look but up. But now a small smile was resting on the teens face rather than the tracks of sorrow that usually rested there.

It’s a change, but a good one.

There is the small swish of footsteps walking through the field. Another male, not much younger yet a lot smaller than the teen quietly approached with weary eyes. His complexion was sickly, dark tan skin having a dull look to it, dark circles echoing under eyes. He was rather paranoid in nature, seemingly waiting for something or someone to jump out at him.

He paid attention to the breeze, straining tired eyes at leaves and petals that may have drifted by. He looked to the ruddy rocks that dotted the sides of the small slopes, at the salmon that flopped in and out of the water, the clouds that drifted through the sky. It was awe inducing, causing his jaw to slack a bit in the beauty of it.

His posture was relaxed, a contrast to the tenseness that flowed off of his gaze. He finally found his way next to the teen sitting in the grass. 

They seemed as complete opposites, taller and smaller. Dark and bright clothes. Pale and dark complections. Relaxed and tense. They let the silence resonate through the air for a moment before the taller spoke up.

“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?” Zim jumped a bit, not expecting dialog from the other, and awkwardly squatted down next to him. 

“Yea I guess” He grumbled, directing pink-violet eyes to the ground, “Whaddre you doin out here Dib-thing?”

“De-stressing”

“Thats stupid”

“You’re stupid” Pink eyes snapped over to amused amber, the owners face showing one of childish joy. It took everything the smaller had to not ruin the peaceful serenity of the atmosphere by jumping over and choking the other out. 

Or maybe it was just that he liked that look of joy.

Nah it was definitely the serenity.

The smaller plopped onto the ground, hugging knees to his chest with a huff, watching the other as amber gaze fixated back onto the river in the distance, pale hands gently weaving stems together, unnoticed. 

Silence fell over the two again. It was comfortable, only broken by an occasional breeze that rustled trees and grass. The smaller directed his gaze to his too-big sweater, gently pulling at the end of an arm with tiny delicate hands. 

Zim didn’t notice what the other teen was doing until it was too late. 

He blinked, startled eyes flickering up to Dib who sat a bit straighter now, soft and proud smile dawning on his face. Pink eyes took a moment to take in everything, the warm amber, the light sunspots that dotted his face, the excitement that polished the whole thing off. 

Frail hand reached up to his head feeling the light puff of flowers that sat on top. “I now crown you Queen of this unknown land” The taller said in a mocking-fantasy voice before gentle laughter filled the air. Every ounce of tension sucked from Zim as he snickered along. 

The warm orange of the sky as the sun sunk in the sky glowed throughout the plains. The temperature slowly seeping into the comfortable lower 20s. Dib leaned back onto his palms, amber reflecting the glow of the sunset. 

It was a beautiful scene, it was peaceful. A complete shift from their past relationship. The screams that used to echo between the two now grew dull, seemed completely meaningless.

Most of their fights were at this point.

Zim stared at the older figure, heat rising every so slightly to cheeks as he followed the gesture, leaning back, fingertips only an inch apart. Everything was light and breathless. His stomach was twisting painfully inside his frame, though he’s unsure what its true cause is. 

Sometime in the cocktail of emotions Zim was lost in, the older teen closed the distance and gently overlapped the petite hand with his own, softly intertwining their fingers. 

Pink eyes snapped out of the trance they were in, looking over to meet amber. The air was filled with words unspoken but understood. He didn’t want to fight anymore. Both the teens, so mentally detached from reality, just sat there enjoying the peace that flowed over the sun-glown field. 

Everything felt so right at that moment, however it was very quickly drowned in the sea of wrong that filled their lives. 

Amber eyes softened, tearing away from the pink to look at the sky. Dib felt tears well up, fear sinking in that he may have crossed the line again, as he slowly curls back up into a ball, hand shakely retracting from the others, finding its place wrapped around his legs. 

A wave of sadness washed over Zim as he watched the other teen recluse back again, his hand colder in the absence. It frustrated him to no end, one minute the older teen was so outputting and open and the next it was the equivalent to talking to a brick wall. 

Zim gently brought his hand back front, pausing to look at it instead of wrapping around his legs in a fateful copy of what the older teen had done. He thought for a moment. Wondered if getting close to the other boy would have worse side effects than what currently ails him now.   
He made his final decision and scooted a little bit closer.

Dib didn’t seem to notice the approach from the smaller, trying ones hardest not to cry takes a lot of effort as it seems. He felt a hand lightly touch his back, snapping his head up and over to be met face to face with Zim. The smaller slightly flinching at the quickness before relaxing and reaching a hand up to wipe away tears.

The target looked away before they could reach their destination.

“Why?” Zim spoke, his voice was shaky and weak, “Why do you just push me away” 

Dib froze, eyes flicking back to look at him.   
“Wh- what do you mean” 

“You know what I mean Dib-thing, you want comfort then immediately push away the person trying to give it”

“I’m not tryi-”

“YES YOU ARE DON’T LIE”

Dib glared intently at the younger, who now had both hands on his shoulders, yelling directly in his face. “I’m NOT lying, Zim.” He spat Zims name with pure venom. 

Zim shoved the other teen hard, pinning his shoulders to the ground. He hunched over the startled teen with knees on either side of his hips, too distracted to notice bandaged hands reached up and grabbed the back of the pink sweater he had on. They pulled hard as the other forced his legs to push up, flipping them over. 

Legging covered legs wrapped around Dibs waist out of instinct, both still yelling profanities at each other, not paying any notice to the situation they got themselves in. The fight was just starting to get violent when the smaller finally noticed their position and quickly tried to flip them over again.

He was successful, if you count flipping the two over as accidentally throwing themselves down a hill.

Surprised yelps sounded both of them as they clung onto each other on the way down. Elbows and knees met midsections and narrowly missed abdominal areas. They kicked up grass and dirt and flowers as their rather ungraceful slip continued. Matching goans came out when they finally hit the bottom.

Zim rolled off of the older teen to flop on his back in the grass next to him, not bothering to untangle his right leg from the others. His body ached from the fall, barely able to hold his own weight and still getting crushed under the boy next to him. 

They both laid there in silence, trying to catch lost breath from the venture down. It wasn’t long before one of them started laughing, the other soon followed. They laughed until their sided hurt, well… hurt more than they already were. 

Zim rolled over onto his side to face Dib, the ladder choosing to just turn his head. The stars were out now, the field was dark, save for the bit of light from the post setting sun and the moon. 

Amber eyes shifted to the sky, head rolling slightly back to center. He raised his hand and pointed to a star,

“That’s the closest star” 

The younger hummed, “Yea I’ve been through Astronomy what's your point?”

Dib looked thoughtfully at the star in question, “It’s over 4 lightyears away, 4 light years of space,” He flailed both his arms up in expression, “It’s 4 lightyears of cold vacuum. And the whole universe goes much much farther.” his arms flop ungracefully back to his sides.

“Did you hit your head too hard on the fall Dib-stink?”

“No- The point is that there IS no point.”

Zim tilted his head confused, but was offered no explanation in return. The wind was picking up, pulling and hair and running through the grass. The darkness was fully setting in now, the temperature dropping farther and farther.

The smaller shivered at the change in temperature, still not fully used to the colder temperatures that the mid-north offered. He jumped slightly as something heavy and warm pulled him closer, wrapping part of his coat around the smaller being. 

They laid there in silence, smaller figure quickly wrapping himself around the other, both giving into their touch starved desires of just wanting someone to hug. Both just laid there enjoying one another's presence, away from society, basking in the pale moonlight and summers end of fire bugs. 

Zim felt himself dose off in the cacoon of warmth Dib provided. He felt a hand run threw his hair, softly playing with it. The older teen gently kissed his forehead and he drifted off into a comfortable slumber, half curled onto Dibs chest.

The older teen gently ran a hand threw his hair again, resting onto the side of his cheek. He felt his walls starting to crumble, warmth flooding his chest making him almost light headed with the emotion. 

He let out a breath he didn’t fully know he was holding, looking back up to the star with a thoughtful gaze.

“Or maybe I’m wrong”

**Author's Note:**

> (hhhhh I know you can't see Proxima Centrui from earth, especially not as far north as I wrote this but just roll with it mmk?)


End file.
